A single step wet chemical approach to bifunctional ultrathin (ZnO)(FeO) dendritic nanosheets.

At the ultrathin scale, nanomaterials exhibit interesting chemical and physical properties, like flexibility, and polymer-like rheology. However, to limit the dimensions of composite nanomaterials at the ultrathin level is still a challenging task. Herein, by adopting a new low temperature single step and single pot wet chemical approach, we have successfully fabricated two dimensional (2D) mixed oxide ZnO-FeO dendritic nanosheets (FZDNSs).

Controlling basal plane sulfur vacancy in water splitting MoSx/NiF electrocatalysts through electric-field-assisted pulsed laser ablation.

Eco-friendly, efficient, and durable electrocatalysts from earth-abundant materials are crucial for water splitting through hydrogen and oxygen generation. However, available methods to fabricate electrocatalysts are either hazardous and time-consuming or require expensive equipment, hindering the large-scale, eco-friendly production of artificial fuels. Here, we present a rapid, single-step method for producing MoS/NiF electrocatalysts with controlled sulfur-vacancies via electric-field-assisted pulsed laser ablation (EF-PLA) in liquid and deposition on nickel foam, enabling efficient water splitting.

A versatile interferometric technique for probing the thermophysical properties of complex fluids.

Laser-induced thermocapillary deformation of liquid surfaces has emerged as a promising tool to precisely characterize the thermophysical properties of pure fluids. However, challenges arise for nanofluid (NF) and soft bio-fluid systems where the direct interaction of the laser generates an intriguing interplay between heating, momentum, and scattering forces which can even damage soft biofluids. Here, we report a versatile, pump-probe-based, rapid, and non-contact interferometric technique that resolves interface dynamics of complex fluids with the precision of ~1 nm in thick-film and 150 pm in thin-film regimes below the thermal limit without the use of lock-in or modulated beams.

Efficient Recovery of Lithium Cobaltate from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Owing to technological advancements and the ever-increasing population, the search for renewable energy resources has increased. One such attempt at finding effective renewable energy is recycling of lithium-ion batteries and using the recycled material as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) step in water splitting reactions. In electrocatalysis, the OER plays a crucial role and several electrocatalysts have been investigated to improve the efficiency of O gas evolution.

Compositional Engineering Study of Lead-Free Hybrid Perovskites for Solar Cell Applications.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (HOIPs), especially CHNHPbI (MAPbI), have received tremendous attention due to their excellent power conversion efficiency (25.2%). However, two fundamental hurdles, long-term stability and lead (Pb) toxicity, prevent HOIPs from practical applications in the solar industry.